Washington – Three female members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus accused the organization’s male leaders Thursday of treating women unfairly.

Rep. Loretta Sanchez said the caucus chairman called her a “whore.” Rep. Joe Baca denied uttering the insult, which Sanchez cited among grievances that led her to announce this week she was quitting the group.

“Let me be clear: Her comments are categorically untrue,” said Baca, who, like Sanchez, is a California Democrat.

“He said it. For him to deny it is just a silly thing,” Sanchez said in an interview.

She and Rep. Hilda Solis, D-Calif., said Baca made the comment at an event in Sacramento, Calif., over the summer and that it was repeated to them by people they declined to identify.

“Name-calling never helps anything,” said Sanchez, adding she confronted Baca about the comment. “He just shook for a while, and then he said, ‘That’s a lie.”‘

The controversy, which became public with a report Wednesday on the website politico.com, was the latest evidence of conflict between men in the growing caucus and a smaller, mostly female contingent.

Baca was supported by only one of six women in the 21-member caucus when he was elected chairman in November. Solis, Sanchez and her sister, Linda, along with Rep. Nydia Velázquez of New York subsequently disputed the election procedure and asked for a new secret-ballot vote. All caucus members are Democrats.